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In 2003, Citizen
Schools and Lesley University launched a partnership which
enables Citizen Schools Staff to graduate with a Master's in Education with a
Specialization in Out of School Time (OST) Education, the first of its
kind. This program is a central element of Citizen Schools’ strategy to
create dynamic leaders in the out of school and extended learning time fields
and in their communities. Students
enroll in a two-year, ten-course, 33-credit sequence designed to
develop their skills as teachers, community builders, and after-school
leaders. The course work combines
pedagogical theory supported by hands-on learning through the Fellows’
teaching and team-leading experiences at after-school programs and in their
morning partnerships. This combination of coursework and real-world
experience in a supportive learning community is a unique feature of the
program. Presently, this Master's program is limited to Citizen Schools’ staff,
but future plans may call for expanding its offerings to staff at other after-school programs in the future. Why Lesley University
Lesley University’s School of Education
is nationally recognized for its progressive view on education reform, action
research and a reputation for producing outstanding practitioners.Their commitment to Urban Education and
interest strengthening the Out-of-School Time made Lesley an ideal partner for
our program and led to the creation of a unique and affordable program for out
Teaching Fellows.School with “Real World”
Relevance
The Master's Program’s course pathway
includes a combination of core education classes and courses specifically
designed to prepare students for working in the out-of-school time and extended-learning-time fields and fulfill leadership roles in the communities of which they
are part. Assignments in all classes are
designed to deepen students’ capacity as reflective practitioners, while
contributing to Citizen Schools’ programmatic impact on children and
communities. Many assignments also provide ideas for additions at Citizen
Schools and serve to improve the out-of-school time/extended-learning-time
fields as a whole. For instance, during the Out-of-School Time Landscape
course, students write a research-based policy memo recommending policy and
funding priorities to improve the out-of-school time field. One
recent paper proposed that colleges develop an after-school corps much like
ROTC as a pipeline of educators for the after-school field. During the culminating thesis project, students have the
opportunity to perform intensive research on an issue or challenge in the out-of-school time or extended-learning-time fields.
The Master’s Program Process
The process of applying to the Master’s Program is
two-fold.There is a Citizen Schools
component and a Lesley component.Interested candidates state their initial interest in the Teaching
Fellowship application and submit, by email, a Written Personal Statement to
the Master’s Program Director at Citizen Schools.The Master’s Program Director reviews the
Written Personal Statements and makes a decision to invite candidates to move
forward in the application process or not.In this first Citizen Schools component, candidates will be moved
forward in the admissions process or declined.
- Applicants that are invited to apply to the Master’s Program
based on their Written Personal Statement will need to do the following:
- Complete the Lesley University Application for Admission for Graduate and Adult
Bachelor’s Programs and return directly to Lesley University
- Disregard the request on the
application for an Application Fee –
The Application Fee for the Citizen Schools/Lesley Master’s Program has been
waived
- Submit two Official Transcripts to Citizen Schools – Citizen Schools retains
one for Teaching Fellow’s files and the Master’s Program Director submits the
other to Lesley University
- Have 2 Letters of Recommendation submitted
to Citizen Schools – Note that the two recommendations that are submitted for
the Teaching Fellowship can be used for the Master’s Program as well
All of the aforementioned application parts are required for
the Master’s Program admission’s process.Once all requested documents are received and submitted to Lesley University
(the applications by candidates – the transcripts, recommendations and written
personal statements by the Master’s Program Director on behalf of candidates),
your application file will be complete.Once
the application file is complete, then the second component of the admission’s
process begins.In this second
component, Lesley
University reviews and makes
final admissions decisions on completed application files.
National Service is transformative.Candidates that are not invited to apply to
the Master’s Program will not loose their status in the National Teaching
Fellowship.Unfortunately, the Master’s
Program has limited space and, thus, not all interested candidates will be able
to be admitted into the program.However,
Citizen Schools is honored by your commitment to service through the National
Teaching Fellowship.
Written Personal Statement (2–3
pages)
A two- to three-page Written Personal Statement, typed
and double-spaced (10–12 point size recommended), is required of all applicants.
Then purpose of this statement is to give insight into the applicant’s level of
motivation, sense of purpose in pursuing a degree program, writing skills, and
personal/professional communication style. Care in preparation is strongly
encouraged. This statement should be in narrative form and address the following
questions:
1. In reflecting upon your personal and professional
history, what forces have influenced your professional growth and contributed to
your decision to seek admission to this Lesley University
program?
2. What are your long-term professional goals (i.e. new
directions, opportunities, interests, skills, professional renewal, and/or work
advancement), and how does this Lesley University program help you meet
them?
3. Is there any other information that you think would
help the Admissions Committee to understand you better (i.e. special interests,
publications, academic achievements, supervisors’ references, unusual career
path, awards and/or honors, special accomplishments, leadership
abilities)?
Additionally, a strong Personal Statement should include
the following as well.
 Any former experience with diverse
communities
Your understanding of Out of School
Time/Extended Learning Time as a practice
Your interest in youth
development
Any leadership former experience or hopes for
leadership development
Your ability to manage multiple
demands
Once completed Personal Statements are received and
reviewed, you will be contacted with additional information regarding the
admissions process. Should you have any questions, please contact the Master’s
Program Director, Yolanda Neville at
yolandaneville@citizenschools.org
Teacher Licensure
As of July 2010, Lesley
University will pilot an
optional Teacher Licensure component for students that are enrolled in the
Citizen Schools/Lesley Master’s Program.This Teacher Licensure component will be an extension to the existing
Master’s Program.The initial pilot
option will be extended only to Master’s Students in Massachusetts.For more information, please contact Yolanda Neville, Master’s Program Director, at yolandaneville@citizenschools.org.
Program Schedule and
Location
The course
sequence and schedule is carefully balanced with the Citizen Schools program
schedule utilizing some in-person instruction with a major online component. Courses are conducted during a month-long summer
residency held in July in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Lesley University. There may
also be an additional time of face-to-face residency in January in Massachusetts. Between residencies,
students work on readings, projects, presentations and papers at their sites,
and correspond and collaborate with professors and other students online.
Workload
Master’s
students work full time – and go to school. The Program is intensive and students should expect to devote weekend
and evening time to their studies. However, the Master’s Student cohort is a source of support during this
work, and students find camaraderie working in teams, both in and out of
class. In order to support reading,
research, writing and presentation preparation, Teaching Fellows enrolled in
the Master's Program are loaned a new laptop and provided with wireless Internet
access during their tenure.
An Affordable Graduate School Pathway
Lesley University
has provided a significant discount to Citizen Schools’ students. Students pay
about $312 per credit, or approximately $11,000 for the two-year program, and
are eligible to apply for financial aid for tuition and other costs, such as
books, travel, and housing. For those students who are AmeriCorps members, the
AmeriCorps Education Award, granted after each year of service, is a little
less than the total cost of the program and can be applied toward loan
repayment.
COURSE PATHWAY (partial list)Education
Reform and the Rise of Out-of-School Time (Year 1 – 3 Credits)
This
course provides an overview of the school reform movement in the latter half of
the 20th century, with a focus on the unique needs and opportunities
of out-of-school time. It also
introduces the Citizen Schools model in the context of school reform and
societal shifts, such as the increase in families with two working parents.
Dimensions of
Teaching and Learning (Year 1 – 3 Credits)
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Lesley University
Lesley University's School of Education is nationally recognized for its progressive view on education reform, thought-provoking action research, and a reputation for producing outstanding practitioners. Their commitment to urban education and interest in strengthening the out-of-school-time field made Lesley an ideal partner for our unique and affordable Master's program for National Teaching Fellows. |
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